Maria Przybyszewska

Leaders

I was conducting research in preparation for writing a monograph on Radomyśl Wielki county. More than half of the population before World War II was Jewish, for a period of time more Jews than Christians had lived in town, so my book had to cover this topic as well. I am not originally from Radomyśl, so I had no idea about local Jewish history, there were no family stories about them, it was all new to me. I remember my shock and disbelief when I learned how the Holocaust happened in Radomyśl. I am an empathetic historian so I spent hours walking around the old Jewish cemetery, where few matzevot remain, but there are two mass graves from the times of Shoah that are clearly visible. I gathered a lot of information through conversations with local residents. Step by step, the images of both a pre-war and wartime Radomyśl, started to appear. I hold a PhD in historical studies. Both my MA thesis and doctoral dissertation discussed the topic of Delegates of Polish Government- in-exile in World War 2. I am a (middle school) teacher by profession and history is my only great passion. I enjoy traveling very much, especially to places which I had rad about beforehand. I avoid crowds, I prefer to contemplate places I visit by myself, instead of joining group tours, as I find the latter tiring and dull. I am very active. Promoting history of the Jewish community among students or maintaining a Jewish cemetery seem a natural thing for me to do, not anything out of the ordinary.

Some of the most impressive initiatives include creating a memorial obelisk in Podborze to commemorate Christians helping Jews (the unveiling ceremony was attended by Israeli ambassador and a joint prayer was said by a local priest and rabbi Edgar Glog); writing two brochures awarded in Institute of National Remembrance’ s contest – ‘Truth and Memory’ and ‘With No Sin of Negligence’ – the edited memoirs of Antoni Balaryn (he was friends with Jews from Radomyśl and stood as a witness during Rudolf Zimmerman’s process in Berlin in 1967); cooperation with Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum through editing two books: Holocaust – A History Lesson and Auschwitz and Holocaust. Dilemma and Challenges in Polish Education system; study tours to Dachau, Buchenwald, Sachsenhausen, Ravensbruck; participation in School of Dialogue program and a number of conferences for personal development and that of others (teachers).
It is hard to sum up what all those activities mean to me. For me, as a historian, they combine cognition, dialogue, empathy and passion. I think that those who take part in these initiatives, both teenagers and adults, find a similar meaning in it, especially that awareness of Jewish heritage of Radomyśl was not obvious or known to many people I have worked with. This stereotype has slowly began to change.

Activism

Regular maintenance of the Jewish cemetery Obelisk – remembrance site in Podborze Book publishing A mock-up of a pre-war Radomyśl Reenactment of the urban structure of Radomyśl “School of Dialogue” movie exhibition “Jews in Poland. Locals or Strangers” art and literary contest

Radomyśl Wielki

contact information: maria.przybyszewska@liderzydialogu.pl